Shatter Me
by Tsukiko-Chama
Summary: When Takashrio arranges a marriage between Shuusei and Tooko, they aren't the only ones affected. Hotsuma becomes conflicted with the thought of telling Shuusei how he really feels. Tsukumo becomes conflicted with thoughts of losing his sister. But reguardless of how the Zweilt feel, Takashiro refuses to change his mind. HotsumaXShuusei TsukumoXTooko and others. IDEA FROM STORY 46!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

-Uraboku-

Shuusei leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. Hotsuma's words still rang sharply inside his head:  
'How dare you consider marrying her?! Don't you care about me at all?!'  
The brunette closed his eyes and shook his head. Sure, Tooko was a wonderful friend. Sure, Tooko was his age. Sure, Tooko was beautiful and a Zweilt like him. However, it wasn't what he wanted. His marriage to Tooko was what Takashiro wanted.  
To make matters worse Hotsuma had found out in the worst possible way: from a frustrated Tsukumo. Of course, he was probably just as upset as Hotsuma if not more.  
Shuusei knew how Tooko felt: disagreement yet obligated to do so. A tear slipped down his cheek as he slid down the wall to sit on the floor. His knees curled against his chest and he buried his face in them. He didn't want to lose Hotsuma. That was his greatest fear. The mere thought of it made him sick to his stomach. His grip tightened around his arms and he choked out a sob.  
"Shuusei?" The door opened a crack, letting a thin beam of the light pour into the room and shine up into the brunette's eyes, "What are you doing all alone in the dark?"  
Shuusei looked up to meet the speaker's eyes. Yuki was looking at him from the door with a worried expression on his face.  
The older boy wiped the tears from his eyes with his shirt sleeve, "It's nothing you should worry about, Yuki."  
Yuki stood at the door, shifting from foot to foot as if he were deciding if he should intrude or not, "Takashiro said dinner was ready."  
"I'm not really hungry," Shuusei stood and walked to his bed.  
"Are you sure?" Yuki's concern was beginning to show in his voice, "You're not getting sick, are you?"  
Shuusei shook his head as he sat on his bed, "I just really need to rest."  
Yuki paused than started to shut the door, "Alright Shuusei…"

-UraBoku-

By the time Hotsuma got back to his and Shuusei's room, his partner was curled up in own bed. The brunette lay uncovered; his chest slowly rising and falling with his back to Hotsuma.  
The blonde paused before he sat down, his eyes tracing his partner's figure. The fabric clung to the small of his back as her continued to breathe slowly in his sleep. The younger male pulled the quilt from the end of his bed up over his partner.  
"Nnn…" Shuusei's eyes fluttered before opening partway, "Hotsuma?"  
"Go back to sleep," Hotsuma muttered before moving back to his own bed, "You shouldn't sleep without your covers. You'll catch a cold."  
Shuusei was silent. He didn't turn to look at Hotsuma, just curled under the quilt. Despite its warmth, he felt frozen inside. His fingers were shaking as he clenched them into fists at his chest.  
"…I'm sorry…"  
Shuusei's eyes went wide as he turned to look at his partner, "What?"  
"Don't make me say it again," A faint blush had begun to lick at the blonde's cheeks, "I shouldn't have acted the way I did. You should do whatever makes you happy."  
Shuusei chuckled and sat up, his body convulsing with laughter.  
"Why are you laughing at me?" Hotsuma's voice suddenly became offended, rising almost to a shout.  
"I'm not! I'm not!" the brunette insisted, his laughter dying down.  
Hotsuma moved over to Shuusei's bed, "Then what was that all about?"  
Shuusei's voice dropped, "It's nothing…"  
"Don't make me tickle it out of you."  
"Oh please," The older male rolled his eyes, "We aren't children anymore. That doesn't work on me."  
"Oh really?" Hotsuma raised his eyebrows and poked at Shuusei's side, "Not even a little?"  
Shuusei stifled a laugh, "Don't do that."  
"Tell me and I won't."  
"But I don't want to," A shadow of a blush crossed the brunette's face, "It's embarrassing."  
"It's can't be that bad," Hotsuma poked at his partner once more, "You laughed."  
"But I shouldn't have"  
"But you did."  
"That's not the point."  
"Just tell me."  
"I don't want to," Shuusei pulled his quilt around him, "Stop touching me."  
"Aren't partners supposed to tell each other everything?" Hotsuma lay back on Shuusei's bed, the mattress sinking beneath his weight.  
"Last time I checked," Shuusei sighed, "It wasn't a requirement."  
"Fine," he was silent for a moment, "Aren't friends supposed to tell each other everything?"  
Shuusei sighed, "Hotsuma—"  
"Don't."  
"Don't what?" Shuusei rolled to look at him.  
"Don't sigh and say my name like that," Hotsuma kept his gaze locked on the ceiling, "I feel like you're going to scold me when you do."  
Shuusei was silent as he looked at his partner. Hotsuma wouldn't meet his eyes, but kept his gaze on the ceiling.  
"…Do you honestly think that I want to marry Tooko-Chan?"  
Hotsuma blinked and turned to face his partner, "Huh?"  
"Do you really think marrying Tooko-Chan is what I want?" Shuusei's eyes met Hotsuma's as he finished his question.  
"I-I-"  
"If you really think so," He looked into the younger male's eyes, "Then you aren't as smart as I anticipated."  
Hotsuma blushed and looked away once more. The air in the room seemed to grow thicker as the silence lingered. Hotsuma bit into his lip and swallowed nervously, "Do you…Do you love Tooko-Chan?"  
Shuusei moved his gaze to his partner, "Not in the way Takashiro-Sama wants me to."  
Hotsuma sat up, "You never said anything about Takashiro-Sama before!"  
"You didn't exactly give me a chance to explain before," Shuusei neatly whispered as he looked down, avoiding his partner's gaze.  
"…So it's arranged?"  
Shuusei gave a slight nod. The fact that it was arranged didn't really matter in the end. However, since he hadn't made the choice himself, it made it a bit different at the current point in time.  
Hotsuma was quiet for a moment before he twined his arms around his partner's shoulders and leaned his head against to his chest, "I'm sorry, Shuusei."  
"Don't be," Shuusei's fingers thrummed against the blonde's back, "It has nothing to do with you."  
"It has everything to do with me!" He snapped, pulling away, "Don't be so stupid!"  
"Hotsuma-"  
"It doesn't matter if it's arranged or nor, Shuusei. It still has to do with me."  
"How does it have to do with-"  
"Because I-"  
Hotsuma slapped his hand over his mouth before looking away. Crap, he'd said too much. He'd almost said more. His fingers began to shake; what if he'd said it?  
"…Because you what, Hotsuma?"  
He shook his head and got up before moving to his own bed, "It's nothing."  
"No it isn't," Shuusei sat up, "Tell me."  
"Now so fun when the situation is reversed, is it?" Hotsuma crossed his arm and lay back on his bed.  
"Stop acting like a child and just tell me, Hotsuma," Shuusei lay down on his side, facing his partner this time.  
Hotsuma blushed "You're just going to laugh me."  
"Come on, Hotsuma, Pl-"  
A knock cut Shuusei off.  
"Shuusei-Kun?" Tooko's voice came from the other side of the door, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"  
Shuusei stood and walked to the door before stepping outside, "Yes, Tooko-Chan?"  
She looked to the side, avoiding his gaze, "Takashiro-Sama wants to see us in the morning."  
"Why is that?"  
"I'm not sure," She kept her gaze focused away from him, "But after this morning's conversation, I'm guessing it can't be too great."  
He offered a dry laugh, "Am I so bad really?"  
"You know I don't mean it like that Shuusei-Kun," she looked up at him, tears hugging the brims of her eyes.  
"What's wrong, Tooko-Chan?"  
Her lip trembled and she looked down, "I'm afraid."  
"Of what?"  
Without warning, Tooko threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, "I'm afraid of what will happen to the Zweilt because of this decision!" She sobbed against his chest, "I'm afraid to lose Nii-San and Hotsuma! I'm afraid that we'll all drift apart!"  
Tooko sniffled and clung to Shuusei as her long sienna hair fell to cover her face. One of his hands came to stroke her hair whilst the other rest on her back.  
"Shhh…" His fingers continued to run through her hair in an attempt to comfort her, "Calm down, Tooko-Chan…Someone may here you."  
Tooko sniffled and nuzzled against him lightly, "Sorry," Her voice was muffled against his shirt, "I let my emotions get ahold of me."  
"It's okay," He offered her a soft smile and patted the top of her head, "It'll be okay."  
"Well isn't it nice to see the two of you spending time together already."  
The pair turned to see Tsukumo standing at the end of the hallway. Tooko immediately pulled away from Shuusei, "We were just-"  
"Don't." The silverette turned and walked in the other direction.

-UraBoku-

Author's Notes: This is an idea I started on a while ago, but I'm just now getting around to posting it. The whole concept is a bit depressing, but I sort of enjoy depressing stories. They're quite the pleasure to both read and write. Reviews are appreciated.  
Love,  
Tsukiko-Chama


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

-Uraboku-

Tooko and Shuusei sat beside one another on the couch in the common room of the Zweilt house. They didn't look at each other or touch as they sat. Tooko's hands lay clasped together on her lap. She kept her eyes on the floor.

"Tooko-Chan?" Shuusei whispered scooting slightly closer to her.

"Hm?" She didn't look up, but tilted her head to the side.

"Are you alright?" He sat his hand on her leg.

She shied away and let her hair hang over her eyes, "I am."

"You don't seem it."

She froze like a deer in the headlights, "Sh-Shuusei…" She turned to face him. Dark circles hung beneath her ember eyes, which were reddened at the edges from crying. A pair of butterfly closures were fixed just to the side of her brow.

"…Tell me what happened."

She looked away in an attempt to hide what he'd already seen, "N-Nothing."

"Tooko-"

"I just fell and hit my head," She bit her quivering lip, "That's all."

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, "Please don't lie to me."

She looked up into his eyes. She was shaking as she sat her hand atop his, "I really did fall…" She bit her lip, "Tsukumo didn't mean to. I know he didn't."

Shuusei tensed, "What did he do?"

"He just pushed me away. He didn't even push hard," she looked to the side, "And I fell and hit my head against the headboard. He bandaged me and apologized the entire time."

"God…" His fingers grazed just to the side of the cut.

"He didn't mean to," She blushed, "It's not as bad as it looks."

Shuusei slowly nodded, "You're sure that you're okay?"

She nodded and her bangs fell back down to cover the cut.

"Well don't you two look nice," Takashiro smiled as he walked into the room, "Thank you for coming this morning."

"Of course, Takashiro-Sama," They spoke in unison and gave a slight bow of their heads.

"So over dinner last night I hadn't realized we hadn't set a date for the wedding. Do either of you have a preference?"

They were silent as they glanced at each other. A question passed between them, "How long do we have to wait?"

"Pardon?" Takashiro looked up from his notebook.

"How long are we allowed to have for planning and such?" Tooko looked at him. They both knew that they'd be planning as little as they had too. It was almost like planning a funeral to them. How much time would they have left with their partners?

"I suppose around a year or so," He looked at the calendar on the wall, "So the appropriate time would be mid-December at the latest."

Shuusei and Tooko looked at each other for a moment. It was nearly February now; would they have enough time between now and December?

Shuusei looked back to Takashiro, "December sounds good."

"What day?"

"The twenty-first," Tooko chimed in, "That's the day of the solstice."

Takashiro scribbled something down in his notebook, "That sounds do-able."

"Great," Shuusei started to stand, "Is that all?"

"For today, yes," Takashiro flipped his notebook closed, "Happy planning."

-Uraboku-

"I just don't understand what Takashiro-Sama is trying to do," Tsukumo stared blankly into his coffee cup, "Since when to things like marriages concern him?"

Hotsuma rested his head on his hand, "I don't know…"

"…Hotsuma?"

"What?"

Tsukumo swirled the spoon in his coffee, "Have you even talked to Shuusei about this yet?"

"Sort of…" He looked down and traced the band of his ring, "Have you talked to Tooko yet?"

Tsukumo stopped stirring his coffee and bit his lip, "Sort of."

Hotsuma smirked, "She does that too, you know."

"What?" Tsukumo looked up at the blonde, intrigued by his previous statement.

"Tooko bites her lip like that too," Hotsuma ran his fingers through his hair, "Usually before she starts crying."

"How many times have you seen my sister cry exactly?"

"Only a few," The blonde looked to the side, his gaze moving to the garden outside. A violet butterfly flew through the rain and perched on a leaf.

"What should we do, Hotsuma?" The silverette strummed his fingers against his coffee cup.

Hotsuma shook his head, "I'm not sure."

"There must be something."

"Yeah, but I don't know what," The blonde turned away from the butterfly, closing his eyes and folding his arms over his chest.

"Should we talk to Takashiro-Sama about it?" Tsukumo looked from his coffee cup to the man across from him.

"Takashiro planned it. I doubt that there's a chance we could reason with him," Hotsuma leaned forward on his elbows, "It would have to be someone else."

"Takashiro is in charge of the whole Giou Clan and the Zweilt. Who else could we possibly talk to?"

"Even if we talk to someone, it isn't very likely that anything would change anyway."

Tsukumo's eyes dropped, "Hotsuma…"

"What?"

"Are you worried?"

Hotsuma's gaze went back to the window, "A bit, yeah."

"What do you think is going to happen?"

The blonde shrugged, "I'm not sure…"

The two were silent for along moment. Hotsuma's gaze proceeded to follow the butterfly outside.

"What about Tachibana?"

Hotsuma scoffed, "What about him?"

"What if we talked to him about it?"

Hotsuma let out a dry laugh, "What good would talking to that goofball do?"

Tsukumo suddenly shied, "I don't know…maybe he could convince Takashiro-Sama to-"

"He's the damn curator, not Takashiro's advisor," Hotsuma leaned back in his chair, "I don't think talking to anyone will do us any good at this point."

With those words, the blonde stormed off to take a walk in the rain.

-Uraboku-

Yuki walked around Twilight manor in silence. Rain fell in soft spattered droplets against the window panes. It was eerily quiet in the manor as he walked. Even where the drapes open, the halls were unusually dark.

"Yuki?"

The younger boy turned to see Luka standing a few paces behind him. The look on the Opast's face lingered somewhere between concern and nostalgia, "Is everything alright?"

Yuki's gaze went back to the window, "I'm okay."

"That didn't answer my question," Luka moved closer, "You've been wandering around for almost an hour." Yuki didn't speak as the Opast stepped closer, "What are you looking at?"

Yuki's fingers came to rest on the cool window as he pointed, "Butterfly."

Luka's gaze followed the younger males out the window. A small violet butterfly was perched on the edge of a leaf looming from a bush at the far end of the manor.

"It's raining," Yuki mused, still watching the fluttering insect, "Yet it's still flying about as if it isn't."

"I'm afraid I do not understand the point," Luka spoke as he looked back to Yuki.

"Well," Yuki's gold eye's met Luka's silver ones, "If a butterfly still flies in the rain, why can't people keep moving when they're sad?"

A silence passed between them before Luka spoke, running his fingers through the ends of Yuki's hair, "Perhaps that sadness is too much for one person to bear alone."

Yuki looked down, his copper hair falling from Luka's grip, "Why don't they just ask for help bearing it?"

"Are you speaking of someone in particular, Yuki?" More concern began to show on Luka's face as he spoke.

"I'm worried about Shuusei…" Yuki's gaze dropped to the floor, "Last night I went to get him for supper and he was just sitting on the floor with all the lights off. When I asked him if he was alright, he just insisted he was tired and went to bed."

"Not to come across as derogatory," Luka tipped his head to the side, "But isn't that normal for Shuusei?" The Opast tipped the copper-headed boy's chin up, "I'm sure you have nothing to fret over."

A faint blush crossed Yuki's cheeks, even as Luka's cool hand moved away, "Shuusei only acts like that when something's wrong."

"Then perhaps he's gone and depressed himself again."

"But why? Why would he do that when there are people here that care for him?" Yuki's frustrated words echoed in the hall. He immediately regretted his sudden outburst, "Sorry…I-

I…"

"It's alright," Luka ran his fingers through the younger male's hair once more, "You're just frustrated…"

"I'm just worried about him…" Yuki looked back out the window just as the butterfly was hit by the rain and fluttered suddenly to the ground.

-Uraboku-

Author's Notes: So a bit of perspective exploration to give the story a more rounded feel. Please Review.

Love,

Tsukiko-Chama


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

-UraBoku-

Shuusei looked over his shoulder before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He began running the water into the group-sized bath before disrobing. Steam had begun to cling to the mirror by the time the tub was full. He shut off the water and gingerly slid into the tub. He let out a sigh of relief as the warm water swirled around his body.

His muscles ached all over. Even worse, his scars were throbbing. He closed his eyes and sank down further into the bath, the tips of his hair floating along the water's surface.

In truth, he almost felt sick. It was probably because he hadn't eaten in almost two days, but he just hadn't felt up to eating. The thought of it nauseated him even more than not eating did.

He sighed and tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling. His eyes traced invisible patterns in the mural above. How old was Twilight Manor anyways? It must've been around for generations.

Shuusei's head was spinning. He closed his eyes in an attempt to relax. He was still trying to figure out just how to make all of this work. Everything was such a mess, that's the only conclusion he could come to at this point.

It suddenly occurred to the brunette that he hadn't seen his partner since their discussion last night. Where was Hotsuma anyways?

Shuusei sighed and began to pull himself from the tub. He reached to pull his towel closer just as the door clicked open.

Tooko's hair was piled up in a messy bun atop her head as she entered the steamy room. She clutched her pink towel to her chest and stopped just as she noticed Shuusei, half out of the water, in all his naked glory while he reached for his towel. A dark pink blush came to cover her cheeks before she pulled her towel up to cover her eyes, "I-I didn't see anything! I-I promise I didn't!"

Shuusei sank back into the water, a blush now forming on his cheeks as well, "It's alright Tooko-Chan. Just shut the door before anyone hears you."

Without removing the towel from her eyes, she shut the door and turned to stand with her back to him, "Okay. I-I'm not looking."

After a few moments, Shuusei removed himself from the tub and pulled his robe over his body and tied it. He fluffed his towel through his hair, "Okay, Tooko, I'm all covered."

Slowly, she lowered the towel and peeked over to him, "I'm so sorry, Shuusei-Kun. I didn't know you were in here."

Shuusei managed a small, nervous laugh as he continued drying his hair, "Don't worry about it. I should have locked the door."

Tooko's gaze dropped to the floor, "Is the water still warm?"

Shuusei smiled, "Very. You should be fine."

"Thanks," She walked to the edge of the bath, feeling the temperature with her toes.

Shuusei sat his hand on the door know and looked over his shoulder, "And Tooko-Chan?"

"Hm?"

He smiled lightly, "Your eye looks a lot better."

With those words he left her alone in the bathroom.

-UraBoku-

Tsukumo lay back in his bed staring at the ceiling. He still felt guilty for the events of the previous night. It felt like no matter how many times he said sorry, it would never be enough.

He'd hurt Tooko. Not only had he hurt her, but it had been on her beautiful face. It was strange, because his temper had never been a problem before. Why would it suddenly be causing him so much grief now?

A knock on the door cut off his thoughts. The door opened to reveal none other than Lia, her pink dress clinging to her body tiredly, as if she'd been wearing it too long.

"Oh, Tsukumo, I'm sorry," She peered further into the room, "I was just looking for Tooko-Chan. I thought she'd be in here."

"No," he sat up, his silver hair falling into his eyes, "Just me."

"You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"

He shook his head, "Last I heard she went to take a bath, but that was almost half an hour ago."

"Okay," Lia teetered from foot to foot, trying to decide if she should wait for Tooko there, or proceed to look for her.

Tsukumo laid back on his bed, "Was there something else, Lia?"

"Is it okay if I wait in here?" she clasped her hands behind her back, "I don't want to disturb her if she is in the bath."

"Sure," He continued laying there, looking up at the ceiling, "Make yourself at home."

She smiled before plopping down at the foot of the bed, "Thanks, Tsukumo."

He replied with a casual nod before delving back into his thoughts.

-UraBoku-

"Whataya mean you are the last one?!" Hotsuma's voice roared from the dining room.

"I mean I ate the last one, and that's that," Kuroto replied plainly.

"Maybe I wanted that one!" Hotsuma's hands slammed into the table.

"Sorry, I didn't see your name on it," Kuroto rolled his eyes before taking another bite of the crescent roll they were fighting over.

Senshirou gave a light laugh, "It's alright, Hotsuma, I have more in the oven right now."

"That isn't the point!" growled Hotsuma from his chair.

"Why do you always act like such a baby, Hotsuma?" Kuroto took another bite from the roll, watching the flaming blonde emotionlessly from across the table.

"I do not!"

"You do so…" Luka and Kuroto said at the same time.

Yuki gave a nervous laugh, "Senshirou, you made a very good supper."

"I'm happy you like it," Senshirou smiled before walking into the kitchen to retrieve the crescent rolls from the oven.

Kuroto smirked, "Now you can have one."

"I don't want one!" Hotsuma shouted before getting up and leaving the table without giving the others a chance to say anything.

His fuming ceased within a few steps into the hallway. In a way, he thought it was stupid to get mad over something so small. But it a much louder way, he knew he was right.

Hotsuma continued to wander through the hallway, subconsciously counting the number of paintings on the walls he hated. 142. He hated 142 paintings in that hallway.

It wasn't all that long before he realized that he was walking in circles.

_I should at least go to my room instead of wandering around the manor like a complete idiot, _he thought before he began to double back down the corridor.

He pulled open his bedroom door, only to find Shuusei curled up on his bed without his covers again. Hotsuma lightly smiled before pulling a quilt over his partner, "You never change, do you?"

-UraBoku-

Tooko's fingers and toes were wrinkled when she finally decided to get out of the bath. She pulled on her usual, soft pajamas and dried her hair before looking in the mirror. Shuusei hadn't lied about her eye looking better today.

She hung her towel on the drying rack before walking into the hall. It felt drafty there. She shivered and proceeded to her room.

She knocked on the door, "Tsukumo-Kun?" She cracked the door open and peered in. The lights were off. He must've fallen asleep.

She stepped in and crossed the room, "Tsukumo, are you still awake?"

She turned on the lamp at the side of the bed and froze.

Tsukumo lay asleep, but he wasn't alone. Lia lay nuzzled against him, smiling in her sleep. Tooko felt tears like pin pricks at the backs of her eyes.

She turned off the light and pulled a quilt from the end of the bed before walking to the sitting room.

It appeared that Tsukumo had made his mind up.

-UraBoku-

After making sure Yuki was asleep, Luka walked the halls of the manor, thinking about the events of earlier that day. Problems in twilight Manor were one thing, but once they had begun to affect Yuki, they were another. Perhaps a talk with Takashiro would be necessary in order to fully understand the situation.

A soft sniffling cut off his thoughts. He turned to see Tooko curled up on the couch crying.

"What are you doing?"

Tooko sucked in a sudden break and wiped her eyes, "L-Luka…"

"Why are you crying?"

She sat up, still holding the pillow to her chest, "I-I…"

Luka kept a cold stare on her, "Answer me."

Her voice shook, "T-Tsukumo and Lia," more tears fell down, "Sh-She was in my spot in our bed."

"So instead of waking them up and asking for an explanation, you just made an assumption?" Luka raised an eyebrow.

"I-I was afraid to hear the reason…"

"Tooko," Luka nearly growled, "If you love him, fight for him."

"But-"

"Don't just sit there and do nothing," his eyes became solid moonstone, "If you don't like what's happening, do something to change it."

And with those words he was gone.

-UraBoku-

A/N: Apparently summertime was not a time I updated. I'm sorry guys. I hope this makes up for it. Review please ^^.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

-UraBoku-

Hotsuma watched Shuusei from his bed as his partner slept. His mind reeled in thought as he did so. Shuusei wasn't eating again. Did this marriage really have him that stressed out? Could it really be bothering him that much?

"Nng…." the brunet turned over, moving to lay with his back to his partner, and curled up.

Hotsuma continued watching him for a moment before proceeding to think.

_Why would Takashiro be arranging a marriage between the two of them anyways? It had been proven a while ago that Zweilt having children didn't produce new Zweilt. Sure, Tooko and Shuusei were the same age, but did that mean Lia would end up marrying Tsukumo, Yuki, Kuroto, or himself? What about the Zweilt leftover? Would Takashiro marry them off as well? Who would he even marry them off to?_

A small whimper came from Shuusei's bed, causing the younger male to turn and look at his partner. Shuusei's head was arched back into his pillow, and he would periodically twitch or give a slight thrash along with a mewl of discomfort.

'He must be having a nightmare,' Hotsuma thought before getting up and going to his partner's bedside.

He sat at the edge before lightly setting his hand on Shuusei's shoulder, giving it a light shake, "Shuusei…Come on, Shuusei, wake up."

-UraBoku-

"Hotsuma!" Shuusei continued to run through the woods, roots and undergrowth grabbing at his feet, "Hotsuma! Wait!"

He tripped on an overgrown tree root and fell into the dirt. He coughed and pulled himself back up, catching sight of his partner, "Hotsuma!"

He caught hold of Hotsuma's hand, but the blonde immediately ripped away, "Go away, Shuusei. I don't want to see you."

"I don't care!" This reminded Shuusei of when they were children, back before the partnership, or even the scars. He just wanted to make Hotsuma feel okay again. He wanted to make him smile.

"Get away from me!" Hotsuma shouted, pushing the brunette away, "I don't want you around anymore!"

Shuusei's eyes went wide with hurt. What did he just say? No, Hotsuma would never say that. He would never say such a thing. He was Shuusei's partner. They belonged together. Always.

"Hotsuma-"

"Go, Shuusei!" Hotsuma still had his back to him, "I don't want to see you anymore!"

"Hotsuma…" Shuusei felt even smaller as he sat there on the ground, "Please…"

Hotsuma spoke words almost inaudibly before a massive column of flame erupted around him.

"No!" Shuusei began to pull himself up, but the roots springing from the ground where holding him down. Tears began to flow down his face, "Hotsuma!"

-UraBoku-

Shuusei lurched upright in his bed, panting as tears slipped down his cheeks and sweat encased his body.

"Shuusei," Hotsuma's voice pulled him out of his daze and he immediately turned to look at his partner, "It's okay; it was just a dream."

Without thinking, Shuusei latched himself onto his partner, gripping his shirt as he let out a sob of relief. Hotsuma, startled by the sudden action, tensed, attempting to look at his partner in confusion, "Shuusei?"

"Y-You're alright," Shuusei kept his hold on Hotsuma, his face buried in his shoulder, "You're okay…"

"Of course I'm okay…" Hotsuma set his hands on Shuusei's shaking shoulders, "You were just having a bad dream."

The brunet loosened his grip, but didn't pull away. Hotsuma stroke Shuusei's shoulder lightly with his thumb, "Do you wanna talk about it?

Shuusei shook his head, slowly pulling away, "I'm alright."

Hotsuma half smiled, "Okay." He shifted as if he were going to get up.

"Wait," Shuusei caught ahold of Hotsuma's sleeve.

"Hm?" Hotsuma stopped, turning to look at his partner.

Shuusei blushed and looked down, "Could you please stay here? I don't wanna sleep alone…"

The blonde faintly blushed and thought for a moment before setting on the edge of the bed, "Okay…for how long?"

Shuusei blushed darker and looked away, "The whole night."

Hotsuma gulped, "Is that really okay?"

Shuusei nodded, "Just, please, stay with me."

"Alright," Hotsuma pushed the covers back and moved beneath them. The blankets were still warm from all of Shuusei's nervous thrashing.

Shuusei blushed, but curled against the younger male's body, nuzzling into his shirt. Slowly, Hotsuma's arms came to rest around Shuusei's shoulders. The feeling of Shuusei curled against him felt surprisingly natural. His head fit into the crook of his neck like they were meant to be hooked together, almost like puzzle pieces. Then Hotsuma drifted off to sleep.

-UraBoku-

"It'll only pose a problem," Sairi leaned back on the chase at the far end of the room, "We all know how the Masurame siblings feel about each other."

Takashiro's gaze drifted back to the window, "They're simply confusing normal sibling affection with love. After a few years, they'll move on."

"But how can you be sure, Takashiro-Sama?" Sairi ran his fingers through his hair, "The Zweilt haven't been known to agree with every order given."

"Yes, but they _follow every order_," Takashiro moved back to look at Sairi, "It's their duty after all; why are you discussing this with me?"

"I'm simply concerned with the Giou clan's decision."

"As one of the Zweilt, or as the conniving rat you tend to be?"

Sairi offered a light-hearted chuckle, "I'm just concerned as a neutral party."

"Neutral party?" Takashiro's brows slanted down, "Since when are you neutral about anything?"

"Since now," he stood, smoothing his shirt, "The Zweilt are my family."

"Oh please," Takashiro rolled his eyes, "Perhaps if you spent more time with your 'family', I might believe that."

"Well," Sairi stepped closer, "Merely to give some useful advice for managing foreseeable problems."

Takashiro looked at Sairi, "And what kind of advice might that be?"

-UraBoku-

"Mmm….Tooko-Chan…" Tsukumo nuzzled his heat source lovingly before curling closer to it.

The sunlight came through the curtains in persistent streams. Birds chirped out of tune outside. Tsukumo's eyes creaked open to look at the ceiling. It had been one of those restless sleeps that made the night feel meaningless. He shuffed his fingers through the hair of the sleeping girl next to him. It was…short?

"Tooko-Chan, when did you cut your hair?" He furrowed his brows, "Tooko-"

Lia lay nestled in the crook of his arm. He gently pulled away. She must've fallen asleep waiting for Tooko last night…but where was Tooko?

Tsukumo pulled himself out of bed and tugged on a fresh set of clothes before exiting the room. The instant the door opened, he was met with a familiar set of golden eyes.

"Tooko-Chan?"

"Shh…" The put her hand to his mouth to silence him before wrapping her arms around him, "I don't care why she was in there Nii-San…I trust you."

Tsukumo closed his eyes and leaned his cheek to rest atop her head, his fingers sliding into her long, copper strands of hair. His other hand came to rest on the small of her back, his fingers tracing the hemline of her pajama top.

"I love you, Tsukumo."

He nuzzled her hair before kissing the crown of her head, "I love you too, Tooko."

A faint blush crosser her cheeks, but she knew he wasn't lying.

A/N: I am so sorry that I haven't updated this in an eternity. I have a lot of it written in my notebook, but transcribing it is such a pain in the ass. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as I can. I love you all ^^"


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